Linxia

Chapter 97, Poison Master

In the evening, Chai Yiwei came back, looking sad. After dinner, he found Fang Lin and Huang Di to discuss: "Before, I gave half of my wages to my family, and they said they would save it for me. But now, my stepmother is instigating me to give all my wages. What should I do?"

There's nothing wrong with saving it, but the key is to be afraid that if it keeps being saved, the stepmother, Chai He, will find an excuse today or a reason tomorrow to use the money to subsidize her own son.

"They say pillow talk is powerful, and the ancients were right. Chai Yiwei's father is so biased that I don't know where he is!" Fang Lin thought to himself.

"This... My mother is very good, but I have no experience!" Huang Di said helplessly, looking at Fang Lin.

"Are you kidding me? My parents are also very nice."

After listening to Chai Yiwei's parents, Fang Lin felt that Fang's father and mother might have some shortcomings, but that was already very good: "However, there is a way."

"Brother Fang!" Chai Yiwei received Huang Di's signal and hurried over to pour tea for Fang Lin.

Huang Di also went around to the back and patted Fang Lin's back: "Linzi, tell me!"

They have been with Fang Lin for a long time and know that Fang Lin usually does not show off his talents, but he is a truly smart and sober person.

'Well, just give me an idea!'

If Chai Yiwei didn't say it himself, Fang Lin would most likely respect other people's fate, but since the other party asked for help, he thought about it and decided to help.

Chai Yiwei is an honest man. If he had eaten something from someone else in the past, he would always find a way to return it. This shows that he is grateful and remembers favors. Even if the value is not as great as that of Sister Guihua, he is willing to offer advice and help.

"If we plant the seeds today, when we really go out to sea one day, maybe this person can be used as a breakthrough point and help take away an entire village," Fang Lin thought secretly.

"Let me put it this way. Chai Heshi is Yiwei's elder. Not just any elder, but a 'mother'. Even though she is a stepmother, this identity naturally gives her an advantage. Even if she does something wrong, Yiwei cannot break up with her, otherwise it would be unfilial..."

This is the way it is in this era. Filial piety is more important than anything else. Children are naturally extremely weak when facing their mothers, even if they are stepmothers. Just look at "Lying on Ice to Catch Carp" and "Wearing Reed Clothes to Obey Mother" to know that no matter how wrong someone is, you have to bear it and try to influence them with love. What if you can't influence them? Just leave it alone!
Chai Yiwei and Huang Di nodded. This really touched their hearts. This was the crux of the matter.

"So, if Yiwei wants to rebel against Chai Heshi, he can't do it alone. He must find someone of equal status. This person must be of the same generation as Yiwei's stepmother, or even higher, and must also be a relative..."

The two looked at each other and suddenly realized: "Manager Liu!"

……

Fang Lin and the other two found Manager Liu and told him about Chai Yiwei.

"How ridiculous! I didn't realize before that Chai He was such a person. She treated Yiwei like this, and yet she had the nerve to use Yiwei's own mother to ask me to let her precious son stay?"

Manager Liu was so angry that he said, "Well, Yiwei, go back and tell them that I will collect your wages for you. Let's see what Chai He can do!"

"I'm afraid... they will come to ask for it." Fang Lin reminded.

Manager Liu usually deals with respectable people and may have overlooked the biodiversity of this world.

"She has this face?"

Manager Liu blurted out this subconsciously, but after careful consideration, it seemed that the other party could really do it. A few days ago, he used Chai Yiwei's mother to plead for mercy, and he even knelt down to force others to do things. This kind of shamelessness really cannot be viewed with common sense.

"What should we do? Our shopkeeper is an educated man. If the other party throws a tantrum, wouldn't it be like a scholar meeting a soldier?" Huang Di said worriedly.

"Not afraid!"

Fang Lin smiled and said, "Everyone has weaknesses. Chai He's weakness lies in... Shopkeeper, if she really comes, you should... do this and that, and this and that."

……

A few days later, the shop paid wages, but Chai Yiwei did not pay. The next day, Chai He came to the shop angrily and said, "Manager Liu, I heard that you saved my son's wages. Isn't that bad?"

Manager Liu didn't respond, and directly said, "You still dare to come? You are so thick-skinned! Last time you brought your own son here, you let him stay for the sake of Yiwei's mother. Who would have thought that Chai Hongyi, who you said was 'diligent and hardworking since childhood', was actually a lazy guy. He didn't do any moving of books or cleaning, but he was good at flattering people. He was not polite when eating. He even took things he picked up and took them for himself. How is that different from stealing? How are you as a mother?"

Just from the momentum, he overwhelmed the other party, and even the originally confident Chai He was confused. All he could think about was who was he? Where was he? I didn't come to question him, so why did I end up being scolded?
"No..." Chai He wanted to explain.

"Not a shit!" Manager Liu, who is so elegant, actually used a swear word: "I know what I am here for, but you dare to come here? Do you want to take the wages that Yiwei deposited with me?"

"I want to keep it for safekeeping..."

"Still quibbling! I know everything. Yiwei gave him half of the money, saying it would be saved for building a house and marrying a wife, but you instigated him to give it to your own son. Now you want to take it all away. What a cruel stepmother!"

"you you……"

Chai He was so angry when her thoughts were exposed that she simply stopped pretending and threw a tantrum: "You are the shopkeeper of Yiwei and I am his mother. How dare you interfere in my family's affairs? If you dare not pay me, I will sue you in the government office!"

"Sue me?" Shopkeeper Liu laughed in anger, "Don't you know who I am? Yiwei's uncle! A few days ago, you asked me to kneel down and beg you to accept your precious son for the sake of Yiwei's mother. You forgot about it today? How shameless!"

"He's just a distant uncle, can you bring him up like that?" Chai He said.

But she had forgotten that when she asked for a job for her own son a few days ago, she knew that Manager Liu was Chai Yiwei's uncle, and she shamelessly tried to curry favor with him. Now that he came to ask for wages, she subconsciously ignored it. Now that she was reminded, she tried to use the excuse that the relationship was too distant to get away with it, proving that he had no control over her.

All I can say is that many people always remember the aspects that are favorable to themselves and ignore the aspects that are unfavorable to themselves.

"Distant uncle? He is also Yiwei's elder. Don't treat bean buns as solid food. Do you think that as long as you use your status as a stepmother to coax his father, I can't do anything to you?"

Shopkeeper Liu used his trump card: "Your own son is not clean, as his own mother, are you also a stealer? As a stepmother, your own son is jealous of Yiwei and cruelly wants to take all the wages... Stealing and jealousy are two of the seven reasons for divorce. Today, I will go to your Chai Village as Yiwei's elder, call a meeting of the Chai clan elders, and divorce you, a slut!"

"This...can't do!" Chai He finally panicked when she heard this, her voice broke and became shrill, but seeing that Manager Liu was really going to leave, and thinking of the consequences, a chill rushed straight to her head, her whole body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground in fear, not caring about her dirty clothes, she quickly crawled twice and hugged Manager Liu's thigh tightly: "No, I was wrong, I don't want the money anymore!"

After all, she was just a village woman, and what Manager Liu said hit the nail on the head.

The biological son was not clean and was suspected of stealing; because the biological son was jealous of Chai Yiwei and took away his wages in various ways, this forced connection could be barely justified.

What about theft and jealousy? They are the second of the seven grounds for divorce! If they are violated, the wife can be divorced!

To be honest, Chai Heshi is not afraid of Chai Yiwei, even though she is just a stepmother. Even if Chai Yiwei is wrong, he cannot go against her, otherwise it would be unfilial. But Manager Liu, as an elder, can. With his status as the uncle, he can really go to the Chai family elders to hold a clan meeting. Even if his words are a little far-fetched, the Chai family elders will definitely support Chai Yiwei, the blood of the Chai family. Therefore, it is very likely that he will divorce her!
In other words, this plan is feasible!
"Uncle..." At this time, Chai Yiwei came out and said with sobs.

"Forget it, for Yiwei's sake, I'll forgive you this time, but from today on, Yiwei won't pay his family for his work, and don't let me hear you bullying Yiwei again, otherwise, even if I don't want to save my old face, I will kick you, a bitch, out of the Chai family!"

Manager Liu could indeed do this, which might lead to Chai He's divorce, but it would be a lose-lose situation. It would be hard to say what would happen to Chai Yiwei's biological father, and it might also make Chai He feel desperate. On the contrary, keeping this trick in hand would be like a sword hanging over one's head, which would make the other party more restrained.

"Well...how about, just pay half like before..." Chai He muttered softly, trying to bargain.

"Ok?"

With just one word, Manager Liu made Chai He shut up. He then pretended to leave: "Then let's go. Go to your Chai Village, or the county government. Aren't you going to sue me? It just so happens that I will expose your true face as a bitch in front of everyone in the city today!"

"No! Don't go! Okay, I won't hand it over, I won't hand it over... Don't worry... I will definitely treat Yiwei well in the future, and I will never dare to do it again." Chai He was frightened by this series of attacks and became incoherent. In the end, she signed a letter of repentance and finally got away, leaving in disgrace.

……

After Chai He left, Huang Di came out excitedly and gave him a thumbs up: "Boss, you are so impressive. I feel relieved and refreshed just listening to you from inside!"

"Awesome." Fang Lin also said.

"Haha!" Shopkeeper Liu was obviously laughing so hard that he couldn't stop, but he still said modestly: "Didn't we all plan this together? Everyone built the stage and let me sing on my own."

"Especially you, Linzi, you are so good at predicting things. You have predicted everything that Chai He would say and refute. It reminds me of a wise man in ancient times..."

"Who?"

"That's Jia Xu, the ruthless scholar of the Three Kingdoms. If he gets really ruthless, no one else can stop him."

"Boss, are you praising me or insulting me?" Fang Lin laughed in silence.

"That's right, Linzi, you are very smart, just like the military advisor on the stage." Huang Di also said.

"Okay, stop bragging about me."

The three of them joked around to ease the atmosphere, and also gave Chai Yiwei some time to calm down and sort out his emotions: "Thank you! Thank you Brother Fang, Brother Huang, and the shopkeeper. I'll treat everyone to dinner tonight."

"You're welcome. We are friends. I will help you if I can."

"Yes!"

"Yiwei, don't think that what I said to your stepmother is an excuse. If you really have any problems in the future, come to me. Just treat me as your real uncle."

……

In the evening, Chai Yiwei treated everyone to a meal and went out to buy some wine and food, which was quite sumptuous. Shopkeeper Liu also came over and sat for a while.

That night, Chai Yiwei got drunk again, but he didn't call for his mother again.

……

(End of this chapter)